KINFOLK WABI SABI

Fri, 16 Jan 2015 at 14:06

Our second Kinfolk event for the year saw us embrace the theme of WABI SABI, hosted by Natalie Hayllar or Eat Read Love, Jaclyn Carlson of Blog Society & myself as the creative eye & touch in the mix with of course Mario's Kitchen at the helm of fare.

Taking cues from the undone, the weathered, the gentle patina that comes with the falling of age, a graceful ease, a softening, a calm, raw & real & present.

Our location, The Stables in Surry Hills was the perfect canvas for me to lay on my creative vision for the day.

Creating the environment as one of sensory experience, even before Mario's incredible food hit the table was at the core for me, it had to be a space where people felt embraced by their surrounds, that they folded into the fabric & foliage & feel of the day. Collected dried leaves crucnhed underfoot as our guests entered, the faint smell of eucalypt & the impact of the quietly dancing installation of tree branches & forraged gum, falling blossoms & australian natives.

Long low tables awaited beneath a pitched timber roof, scattered cushions on the floor allowing us to relax, be at one, feel our surrounds & settle in for a gathering of like minds over a shared meal.

HOST | Natalie Hayllar Eat Read Love | Jaclyn Carlson Blog Society

STYLING | FLORISTRY . DESIGN | Lisa Madigan

FOOD | Marios Kitchen

VENUE | The Stables Retail Concept

PHOTOGRAPHY | Rachel Kara

VIDEO | David Child / Kat Parker

GIFTS | Aesop

WINE | Cake Wines

CERAMICS | Ode Ceramics

{ full pics coming soon }

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SYDNEY SUMMER SESSIONS

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 at 17:40

Recently I was kindly invited by Merivale to partake in a Summer Sunset Session at Papi Chulo in Sydney's Manly.

What an incredible night we had, firstly we were whisked over the harbour aboard the 'Papi Chulo Express' - nothing like being on the water to get you geared up for some celebrating. The storm held off for us to reach our port, even a little blue sky had a peek. Happily wind swept & with an appetite in need of satiating, we each leaped ashore.

Pops of black & white tiles, rustic surfaces mixed with metals, zinc & cleaner lines, a buzzing open kitchen, plenty of nooks for a more languid experience & a great bar to perch at if you're on the fly.

We were greeted by an array of signature cocktails, I had the Peligro, "A tropical Bellini of passionfruit, mango, Absolut Citron topped with Prosecco." delicious, not to mention, incredibly pretty. The Cravado's were going down a treat for others, "an almost healthy frozen blend of Vodka, coconut water, lychees, fresh mint & lime." it's one of those cocktail menu's you can literally just close your eyes & point & you'll always get something spot on.

Finding our places around the table there were walks from all fields, fashion bloggers, foodies, interior & lifestyle aficionados & our stunning Merivale hosts Rebecca & Lisa, all of us with a common bond of loving the good things in life & always willing to try something new & share our experience of it. Happily we were about to share in some of the best nosh the north side has seen.

What better way to kick off the night than with some freshly shucked Sydney rocks. If you love oysters & I love oysters, these were gems, shucked to perfection, perfectly chilled, a little green apple mignonette, miam. The pea guacamole I think has a special place in the hearts of us all now too, simply delish. Great start, now on to the serious stuff.

A rolling smorgasbord of dishes then appeared, ceviche, bright, clean, delicious with a little habanero heat. Snowcrab & green mango salad, hello, textural perfection & great flavour play. Empanadas, with wild greens, oozing heidi raclette & a deep tomato jam - there were a few hands on hearts for these - whilst I'm more in the fresh over fried camp, these were fluffy pillows of hot cheesy goodness. Moreish lemongrass & coconut prawns straight from the bbq. The green shallot & herb kimchi was a clear winner for me on our tender wagyu flank tacos, punchy, green goodness. The layering of flavours was inspired, we each feasted & snapped & shared & then mellowed into sweet surrender - arriving in the form of a warm chocolate chip cookie & Chris' mango surprise, needless to say, there's a surprise, just order it, so good & such a fresh way to finish.

There's a deftness of touch in the way Chef's Christopher Hogarth & Patrick Friesen are handling their produce & wielding creative flair, it's delightfully skilled & you can tell they're having fun. Their flavours & finesse dance between being cheeky & playful & spiced up, to showing restraint & clarity. It's a creative menu that you can move around in, dip your toe into something fresh or dive head first & get sticky & smokey & spiced up.

I ask the question, if you live in Sydney, when was the last time you were on the Harbour? I'm a boatsman's daughter so any excuse for me to get on the water will do, but we all should get out there more often. That's an experience in itself, but when there's food & an atmosphere this good on the other side, I highly recommend grabbing a few friends, getting the ferry or a water taxi over & enjoy your own sunset session & if you're on the north, surely you know where the are goods already & this is well & truly your local!

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L'ESPRIT DE LA MER

Thu, 22 May 2014 at 14:20

We manifest magic. What an incredible & memorable & magical night.

It was my delight to set the scene for this occasion, from envisioning our salty soiree to walking the boards & breathing life into every corner on the day, styling & creating the floristry flurries for our Kinfolk Sydney event. Amongst a team of incredible talent, hosted by Eat Read Love, with Mario's Kitchen cooking up a storm & Luisa Brimble behind the lens & plenty more partners bringing their wares to the day.

Salt sprayed, wind swept, scrubby & scrumptious, we welcomed a range of incredible guests, creatives & like minds to our long table in my home town of Avalon, what a treat to share Pittwater with those unfamiliar as well as welcoming many a local.

Set at The Avalon Sailng Club, we sipped champagne from the Champagne Bureau of Australia, feasted & chatted until the sun dipped & we rugged up with a warm, spiced apple crumble.

WHITE

WHITE is the culmination of meditative hours spent flitting between the space of here & eternity. Flickering moments. Contemplation of matter & the sublimation of such. A dive into clarity, into purity through cracking open our existence to sensation. Release. The trandscendsion of a blank canvas, through an expansive truth & the raw expression of it.

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